Murder suspects reveal details of college student's death

Published: Tuesday, December 18, 2012 at 6:27 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, December 18, 2012 at 6:27 p.m.

As a clearer picture began to form around last week's fatal shooting of a 19-year-old community college student in downtown Wilmington, two of the alleged perpetrators admitted to playing a role in the crime, but pointed to another as the triggerman.

In interviews at the New Hanover County jail Monday, Christopher D. Cromartie Jr., 23, and Daniel E. Henry, 17, reiterated what District Attorney Ben David said in court Monday. They said Quintel R. Grady, also known as “Ghost,” killed Joshua Proutey, the teenager who had just clocked out of work Thursday night at the Hannah Block Community Arts Center when he was robbed and killed in a gravel parking lot. A fourth suspect, Jasmine N. Dottin, allegedly waited in a getaway car nearby.

Both Cromartie, who had been working with troubled teens in the community, and Henry admitted to playing a role in the deadly robbery. While their accounts differ, many of the details they provided were initially disclosed by police and prosecutors at a news conference Monday. The interviews paint the clearest picture yet of the events leading up to Proutey's death.

The other two suspects, Dottin, 19, and Grady, 22, declined interview requests.

All four were arrested late Sunday or early Monday and charged with felony first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon. Cromartie, Henry and Dottin are each additionally charged with attempted burglary. All of the suspects except Henry face the prospect of the death penalty. Because of his age, the maximum Henry could receive is life in prison.

Hours before the shooting Thursday, authorities believe that Cromartie, Henry and Dottin tried to burglarize a house off Churchill Drive. But they alerted the homeowners while trying to break in and ran off without taking anything. Cromartie said he needed the money to travel to New York to pick up his 3-year-old son.

“I figured if I robbed a white person in a good neighborhood, they're bound to have money lying around,” he added.

A man who answered the door at the Churchill Drive house Monday declined to comment on the attempted break-in.

After the burglary attempt failed, Cromartie said he, Henry and Dottin were joined by Grady at a house in Creekwood, a federally subsidized housing neighborhood on North 30th and Emory streets. There, Grady showed Henry a revolver he brought with him, Cromartie said. Henry and Grady planned to rob somebody to get money for gas and a marijuana wrap, Cromartie said. The four piled into a car, and Dottin drove them downtown, Cromartie said.

Once downtown, Cromartie said Dottin waited in the car while Henry and Grady walked around, searching for a target. Cromartie said that after getting out of the car, he followed Henry and Grady at a distance, staying nearby for protection in case something went wrong but reluctant to get directly involved in the actual robbery.

At first, police and prosecutors say, the men spotted a woman and began following her. They said the woman realized she was being stalked, went into her gated yard and began to call 911, but did not.

Afterward, the group turned around and walked in the other direction on Front Street, headed toward Market Street. Cromartie said he watched as Henry and Grady turned into an alley across the street from the Peking Gourmet Chinese Restaurant at 120 S. Front St. The alley leads to a set of parking lots behind the Community Arts Center, where Proutey, a Cape Fear Community College student, had just gotten off work as the night manager.

Proutey was in his truck with a Jimmy John's sandwich, cookie and fountain drink when Grady approached him, authorities said.

Henry said Grady held the gun on Proutey, who dropped his sandwich. Henry said he bent down to pick it up as Grady proceeded to rummage through Proutey's pockets.

At this time, prosecutors say, Proutey handed over the two $5 bills that were in his wallet but asked if he could keep his ID because it would be difficult to replace. Henry said that when Grady moved to hand Proutey back the ID, Proutey stepped out of his truck. Grady ordered him back inside. Proutey froze. Henry said Grady ordered Proutey a second time to get back in his truck. Proutey didn't move.

Henry said Grady pulled the trigger.

“I was in shock,” Henry said. “This is the first time I have seen someone die.”

Cromartie said he heard the gun fire and saw Proutey collapse on the ground. He said he ran to Proutey and felt for a pulse. Proutey's heartbeat was high, then low, then high, and low, and, finally, nothing, Cromartie said.

“I knew it was over for him,” he said.

Cromartie said he ran up the street and jumped in the getaway car behind Henry and Grady. He said he could smell gunpowder in the car. En route to a gas station on Market Street, Cromartie asked Grady why he shot Proutey.

“He disobeyed me,” Grady said, according to Cromartie. “I told him to get in the car. He was about to walk off.”

At some point, Cromartie said, the men tossed the sandwich out the window. As they drove away, he said, passers-by found Proutey lying on the gravel, keys still clutched in his hand and the ice in his fountain drink melting by his feet.

On Sunday night, when police moved in to arrest Cromartie in the Proutey killing, they found him about 9:30 p.m. at the Wilmington Coastal Boxing gym on Anderson Street.

Cromartie was a member of the Portia M. Hines Park Project, part of the New Hanover County Blue Ribbon Commission on the Prevention of Youth Violence, and he claimed to be the manager of the gym, part of the Wilmington Coastal Boxing Inc., a nonprofit club for at-risk youth.

kill, who said Cromartie was recently “suspended for misconduct and foul language in the gym.”

McCaskill said that aside from giving Cromartie a key to the gym so he could let in contractors bidding on work, the Wilmington native had no formal connection with the club. And when club leaders learned Cromartie had business cards made up proclaiming himself manager, they found it amusing.

“We thought it was a big joke,” McCaskill said. “He called himself a manager and it seemed to keep him off the street, so we let it go. The dilemma we have now is – because of that, did he have idle time to do something as catastrophic as what he's accused of.”

<p>As a clearer picture began to form around last week's fatal shooting of a 19-year-old community college student in downtown Wilmington, two of the alleged perpetrators admitted to playing a role in the crime, but pointed to another as the triggerman. </p><p>In interviews at the New Hanover County jail Monday, Christopher D. Cromartie Jr., 23, and Daniel E. Henry, 17, reiterated what District Attorney <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic80"><b>Ben David</b></a> said in court Monday. They said Quintel R. Grady, also known as “Ghost,” killed Joshua Proutey, the teenager who had just clocked out of work Thursday night at the Hannah Block Community Arts Center when he was robbed and killed in a gravel parking lot. A fourth suspect, Jasmine N. Dottin, allegedly waited in a getaway car nearby. </p><p>Both Cromartie, who had been working with troubled teens in the community, and Henry admitted to playing a role in the deadly robbery. While their accounts differ, many of the details they provided were initially disclosed by police and prosecutors at a news conference Monday. The interviews paint the clearest picture yet of the events leading up to Proutey's death.</p><p>The other two suspects, Dottin, 19, and Grady, 22, declined interview requests.</p><p>All four were arrested late Sunday or early Monday and charged with felony first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon. Cromartie, Henry and Dottin are each additionally charged with attempted burglary. All of the suspects except Henry face the prospect of the death penalty. Because of his age, the maximum Henry could receive is life in prison. </p><p>Hours before the shooting Thursday, authorities believe that Cromartie, Henry and Dottin tried to burglarize a house off Churchill Drive. But they alerted the homeowners while trying to break in and ran off without taking anything. Cromartie said he needed the money to travel to New York to pick up his 3-year-old son.</p><p>“I figured if I robbed a white person in a good neighborhood, they're bound to have money lying around,” he added. </p><p>A man who answered the door at the Churchill Drive house Monday declined to comment on the attempted break-in. </p><p>After the burglary attempt failed, Cromartie said he, Henry and Dottin were joined by Grady at a house in Creekwood, a federally subsidized housing neighborhood on North 30th and Emory streets. There, Grady showed Henry a revolver he brought with him, Cromartie said. Henry and Grady planned to rob somebody to get money for gas and a marijuana wrap, Cromartie said. The four piled into a car, and Dottin drove them downtown, Cromartie said.</p><p>Once downtown, Cromartie said Dottin waited in the car while Henry and Grady walked around, searching for a target. Cromartie said that after getting out of the car, he followed Henry and Grady at a distance, staying nearby for protection in case something went wrong but reluctant to get directly involved in the actual robbery.</p><p>At first, police and prosecutors say, the men spotted a woman and began following her. They said the woman realized she was being stalked, went into her gated yard and began to call 911, but did not. </p><p>Afterward, the group turned around and walked in the other direction on Front Street, headed toward Market Street. Cromartie said he watched as Henry and Grady turned into an alley across the street from the Peking Gourmet Chinese Restaurant at 120 S. Front St. The alley leads to a set of parking lots behind the Community Arts Center, where Proutey, a <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9937"><b>Cape Fear Community College</b></a> student, had just gotten off work as the night manager. </p><p>Proutey was in his truck with a Jimmy John's sandwich, cookie and fountain drink when Grady approached him, authorities said.</p><p>Henry said Grady held the gun on Proutey, who dropped his sandwich. Henry said he bent down to pick it up as Grady proceeded to rummage through Proutey's pockets. </p><p>At this time, prosecutors say, Proutey handed over the two $5 bills that were in his wallet but asked if he could keep his ID because it would be difficult to replace. Henry said that when Grady moved to hand Proutey back the ID, Proutey stepped out of his truck. Grady ordered him back inside. Proutey froze. Henry said Grady ordered Proutey a second time to get back in his truck. Proutey didn't move. </p><p>Henry said Grady pulled the trigger.</p><p>“I was in shock,” Henry said. “This is the first time I have seen someone die.”</p><p>Cromartie said he heard the gun fire and saw Proutey collapse on the ground. He said he ran to Proutey and felt for a pulse. Proutey's heartbeat was high, then low, then high, and low, and, finally, nothing, Cromartie said. </p><p>“I knew it was over for him,” he said. </p><p>Cromartie said he ran up the street and jumped in the getaway car behind Henry and Grady. He said he could smell gunpowder in the car. En route to a gas station on Market Street, Cromartie asked Grady why he shot Proutey.</p><p>“He disobeyed me,” Grady said, according to Cromartie. “I told him to get in the car. He was about to walk off.” </p><p>At some point, Cromartie said, the men tossed the sandwich out the window. As they drove away, he said, passers-by found Proutey lying on the gravel, keys still clutched in his hand and the ice in his fountain drink melting by his feet. </p><p>On Sunday night, when police moved in to arrest Cromartie in the Proutey killing, they found him about 9:30 p.m. at the Wilmington Coastal Boxing gym on Anderson Street. </p><p>Cromartie was a member of the Portia M. Hines Park Project, part of the New Hanover County Blue Ribbon Commission on the Prevention of Youth Violence, and he claimed to be the manager of the gym, part of the Wilmington Coastal Boxing Inc., a nonprofit club for at-risk youth.</p><p>Cromartie's arrest shocked Wilmington Coastal Boxing Inc. President Deryll McCas-</p><p>kill, who said Cromartie was recently “suspended for misconduct and foul language in the gym.” </p><p>McCaskill said that aside from giving Cromartie a key to the gym so he could let in contractors bidding on work, the Wilmington native had no formal connection with the club. And when club leaders learned Cromartie had business cards made up proclaiming himself manager, they found it amusing.</p><p>“We thought it was a big joke,” McCaskill said. “He called himself a manager and it seemed to keep him off the street, so we let it go. The dilemma we have now is – because of that, did he have idle time to do something as catastrophic as what he's accused of.”</p><p>Staff writers F.T. Norton and Pressley Baird contributed to this report.</p><p><a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic9904"><b>Brian Freskos</b></a>: 343-2327</p><p>On <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/news41"><b>Twitter</b></a>: @BrianFreskos</p>